


Hair Mask 39

by midget_boss



Series: One Universe Over [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: CT-7567 Rex/Original Character implied, Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26586604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midget_boss/pseuds/midget_boss
Summary: Rex gets introduced to a new product. It turns out to have unintended side effects.
Series: One Universe Over [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924129
Comments: 3
Kudos: 113
Collections: Good Things Happen Bingo





	Hair Mask 39

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Good Things Happen bingo square: Good Hair Day. Featuring well-meaning friends, meddling friends, grumpy troopers, and allusions to sex. 
> 
> Warning: Possible clonecest, depending on how you read it.

Rex scowled at the mirror as he ruffled his hair. Fine bits of blonde drifted down. His hair felt dry and crackly. He picked up the box dye and read the directions again. It had been six weeks since the last time, he was sure of it.

The door to the officer’s fresher opened. Rex froze hastily shoved the box into his hygiene bag. Why would anyone be in the fresher in the middle of the late rotation? Whoever had come in didn’t immediately come into the shower area. Maybe he could run them off. He entered the main room to find General Kenobi rummaging through his own hygiene kit.

“Ah, Captain Rex, my apologies,” General Kenobi said as he looked up. “I didn’t think anyone would be in here.”

“Why are you here, sir?” Rex asked curiously.

“Cleaning up,” General Kenobi answered cheerfully. He only grinned when Rex gave him a disbelieving once over. “Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I’m performing some more involved grooming.”

“Involved grooming?” Rex wished desperately that he had his bucket. He needed that on record. Some of the shinies thought the man always looked perfectly groomed, without any effort. They hadn’t yet seen him in a trench, hair matted with sweat and grime. Come to think of it, Rex has only seen it once. He was beginning to suspect Force shenanigans.

“Yes.” General Kenobi continued smiling as he fished out a box and offered it to Rex. “This, my friend, is one of the secrets to my appearance.”

Rex took the box dubiously and snorted at the title. “Hair mask thirty-nine?”

“You laugh, but it does wonders for hair,” General Kenobi said seriously. He gestured to his head. “Here, feel my hair.”

“Uh, sir?” Rex didn’t hide his discomfort. “I’m not sure that’s appropriate.”

“Why not?” General Kenobi asked, surprised. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize there might be some cultural conflict there.”

“It’s not that,” Rex protested helplessly. Cody was going to kill him if he caused his general to start acting weird around him. “It’s just, you’re a general.”

“You don’t have to make excuses, Captain,” General Kenobi said gently. He looked worried. “You don’t have to be that close or touch me.”

“It’s really not that,” Rex assured him, stepping close. He reached up to touch the man’s hair, surprised at how soft it was. “Oh. It really is soft and smooth.”

“Yes,” General Kenobi agreed. He watched Rex anxiously, as if he was afraid Rex was going to freak out. What did they teach Jedi about clones?

Actually, that was a question he’d wondered before, for different reasons. He’d never felt comfortable asking General Skywalker about it. And there was no way he was going to ask Ahsoka. Now would be a good time, except General Kenobi looked like he might take off any minute.

“The stuff in the box did that?” Rex asked. Maybe he could work back to it.

General Kenobi relaxed enough to smile again, though it was a bit hesitant. “Yes. It’s a special combination of herbs from a variety of planets. Don’t tell anyone, but the one who came up with the formula is a Jedi.”

“Really?” Rex asked, suddenly more interested. “I didn’t think Jedi did things like that.”

“Mostly, we don’t, not for commercial companies, anyway,” General Kenobi agreed. “That’s why you can’t tell anyone. I only know because he’s a friend of mine. One time, after a particularly rough mission, I was bemoaning the state of my hair. It was such a mess the ends were fraying. And he told me about this formula he had created and offered to a friend of his.”

“His friend was part of the ‘Galactic Salon’ company?” Rex re-read the name and shook his head. “That’s an interesting name.”

“Yes, well, it is apt at least,” General Kenobi replied with a little laugh. “And I don’t know all the details of that story. But this little box does wonders. I’ve tried to never be without it since.”

“Where do you get it?” Rex asked, curious now. He ran his hand over his own short hair, feeling the crackle again.

“On Coruscant usually, although other Republic planets also carry it,” General Kenobi replied with a shrug. He eyed Rex’s hair and then smiled at him. “Why don’t you give that a try?”

“It’s yours,” Rex protested, although he found himself reluctant to hand the box back.

General Kenobi smiled gently at him. “I’ve got another one back on the Negotiator. You take that one, see if it works for you.”

“Thank you, sir,” Rex replied. His gaze darted to the showers and the general chuckled.

“I’ll just continue with the rest of my routine,” General Kenobi said as he turned back to his bag. “Please don’t mind me.”

……………………….

“There’s something different about you,” General Skywalker said as he walked onto the bridge.

“Sir?” Rex asked.

“You seem brighter, maybe?” General Skywalker mused. He tilted his head as he looked him over. “Snips, come here a sec.”

“What’s up, Skyguy?” Ahsoka asked as she walked over.

“Does Rex look different to you?” General Skywalker asked. He was still studying Rex.

Everyone on the bridge stopped to watch. Rex held himself perfectly still as the padawan walked around him, considering.

“Maybe a little,” Ahsoka offered doubtfully. “I mean, he kinda looks … lighter, but not glowy or anything.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too,” General Skywalker said with a nod.

“His hair looks really good,” Ahsoka added. She tried to reach up to ruffle it, but at that moment General Kenobi and Cody walked in.

“Ah, everyone is gathered, I see,” General Kenobi announced, beaming around at them. “Excellent. Let’s get this meeting started.”

Cody’s gaze swept around the bridge, where the smart ones hastily went back to work. The others would be dealt with later, he knew. Still, Rex wasn’t looking forward to the teasing he was going to get. Cody caught his gaze. Rex darted his eyes between his Jedi, then up to the ceiling. Just typical weirdness, nothing to see here.

……………………….

“What’s this?” Jesse demanded as he set his tray down. He looked gleeful as he examined Rex. “Why Rex, you’re looking brighter today.”

Kix snorted as he sat across from him. “What the kriff’s that supposed to mean, anyway?”

“Beats me,” Rex replied sourly. He ducked away from Jesse’s hand. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Aw, don’t want me to mess up your hair?” Jesse cooed. He grinned maliciously as he finally sat down. “I heard you nearly let the Commander touch it.” His tone took on a salacious edge.

“She’s a kid,” Rex said dryly. “She didn’t mean it like that.”

“She’s technically older than us,” Jesse retorted.

“We mature faster than she will,” Rex shot back. “Isn’t that right, Kix?”

“Yep,” Kix replied.

“Why are you taking his side?” Jesse demanded, offended.

“It’s true,” Kix replied with a shrug. “We’re basically a variant of humans that mature much more quickly than they do and Togrutas have their own development cycle. She’s too young to be interested in that sort of thing.”

“You think the shinies are too young to be interested,” Jesse muttered.

“They should be,” Kix said sourly. “If they aren’t teaching them the basics back on Kamino, then they must be.”

“Or we just get the unlucky ones,” Jesse suggested slyly. He grinned at Kix’s glare.

Rex tuned them out. Someone was watching him, but he hadn’t pinned down who yet. He glanced around carefully between bites of food. Vod’e moved in and out, but the feeling remained.

“Don’t look now, Captain, but I think you’ve got another admirer,” Jesse whispered, eyes dancing.

“Left corner of the serving line,” Kix murmured.

Rex ducked his head for another bite and flicked his gaze up in time to catch the head cook looking at him. Or at his hair, at least. The man’s gaze drifted down and he winked. He had to fight from choking.

“You looked,” Jesse whispered with savage glee. He bent in close, but Kix shoved him back.

“Give people some space, will you?” Kix demanded.

“Jealous?” Jesse asked slyly.

“Who would be?” Kix asked dryly.

“Our friend over there,” Jesse answered, tilting his head toward the cook, who was frowning at Jesse. “I’m just trying to help our Captain here out.”

“What, did you suddenly turn into a matchmaker?” Kix demanded in disgust.

“Maybe I have,” Jesse replied loftily. “It worked out pretty well with Rhodes and Miles.”

“No,” Kix hissed. “Oh. no, you are not going to try pairing people up. I refuse to be subjected to this. Captain, stop him.”

“What do you want me to do about it?” Rex asked.

“Order him to stop,” Kix snapped.

Jesse snorted. “Like that’s going to work. We’re supposed to be finding what we’re good at and concentrating on that, right?”

“That’s for military specialization,” Kix hissed back.

“That’s not what General Kenobi says,” Jesse replied airily. “Did you hear about the classes they have on the Negotiator for hyperspace jumps? You think you can get the Marshal Commander to get us some of those, Captain? Not that I don’t love watching vod get tattoos, but I’d like to branch out now and then.”

“Anything to distract him,” Kix muttered quietly. He cast Rex a desperate look.

Rex looked away from them and caught the cook’s gaze again.

……………………….

It was the second Taungsday of the month, which usually meant a vid com with Cody if neither of them was on a mission. Or at least not actively fighting during a mission. Rex had been occupied at their usual time, but that had only been an hour ago. It wasn’t actually late and Jesse had caught him in the corridor to reiterate his plea for something to ease the boredom. Cody was probably just doing paperwork, anyway.

“Your hair’s a mess,” Cody commented when the line connected.

Rex reached up to smooth it, then curled his hand to a fist and dropped it. He fought the warmth rising in his cheeks. “Very funny.”

“Thought so,” Cody replied smugly. His image blurred slightly as he settled back into his chair. “I’ll forgive you for comming so late.”

“How generous,” Rex said, but he still felt too good to muster any sourness.

“Not going to share?” Cody asked idly.

“You want details?” Rex demanded in disbelief. They’d shared a lot over the years, but nothing of that nature. He watched his vod carefully, but Cody was hard to read in person, never mind over holo projection.

Cody shrugged. “I have to live vicariously through you.”

“You don’t,” Rex retorted with a snort. He thought about earlier on the bridge and the way Cody and his general had mirrored each other without being aware of it. “You really don’t.”

“What was that on the bridge?” Cody demanded. Rex almost pushed it, but his vod had that set to his jaw that meant he wouldn’t listen.

“The Jedi seemed to think something was different about me,” Rex admitted with a shrug. “Said I was brighter somehow.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cody demanded. His eyes glared at his wrist com and one hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He was wound up tight for some reason.

“Your general would have mentioned it if he thought something was wrong,” Rex assured him. He blinked when Cody scowled. “Did he say something?”

“Nothing that made sense,” Cody said reluctantly. “Before he left he said you might want to remember the ‘GS39’. What did he mean by that?”

GS39? The Galactic Salon’s Hair Mask thirty-nine, no doubt. Rex let a smirk curl across his face. “You know what, I think I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

“Really? You’re not going to share that, either?” Cody demanded irritably.

“Nope,” Rex replied smugly. “But while I’ve got you on the line, Jesse wanted me to ask you about the classes you run during hyperspace jumps.” He watched annoyance war with duty on Cody’s face and sat back to see which one would win.

**Author's Note:**

> I did not tag this as a relationship because I doubt anything else will happen there. If you think I need to add a tag please let me know.


End file.
